Chuck Gehring: Lifecare Alliance April update

Chuck Gehring, CEO of Lifecare Alliance made his regular visit to the WCRX-LP radio studio. He began his report on programs and services at Lifecare Alliance by commenting on the change of seasons. The pleasures of Spring are enjoyed by Lifecare Alliance clients, volunteers and staff.

DONATE OLD CELL PHONES

He Gehring informed listeners that there is a need for unused and obsolete cell phones that people no longer use. All cell phones are programmed so that 911 calls can still be made on a cell phone even if a specific customer account has been closed. The old cell phones can be used for personal safety of clients and are a suitable no-cost alternative to emergency phone services costing twenty or thirty dollars a month. Lifecare Alliance accepts donations of old cell phones, cleans them and gives them to clients who have a potential need for emergency contact with 911.

SERVICES FOR CANCER AND AIDS PATIENTS

Gehring then discussed services that are offered to cancer patients and individuals with AIDS. A full array of services are available through Lifecare Alliance. The Columbus Cancer Clinic and the Project Open Hand are chiefly identified with Lifecare Alliance cancer and AIDS services.

A profile of some of the clients receiving services through Lifecare Alliance programs is people who have lost their jobs and benefits, who cannot pay for food and medicine, who no longer have the ability to maintain their residences and support their dependents. Sometimes they are facing a year of chemo and other therapy. The treatment is usually debilitating. Travel to medical services is difficult.

Lifecare Alliance can offer meal delivery, pantry assistance, transportation and personal appearances services. A simple objective for the array of services offered by Lifecare Alliance is stabilizing home life and keeping these individuals and their dependents out of homeless shelters

Mammogram and other testing is available from Lifecare Alliance mobile clinics.

Gehring discussed how people commonly delay contact with his agency. For whatever reasons, they delay asking for services. A common pattern that he sees is when the first contact is a “panic contact.” A senior citizen falls; the out of town adult child visits to help during recuperation and first realizes the difficulties the parent has been facing in daily life.

CONTINUED ADVERSE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, FEDERAL STIMULUS LEGISLATION

Gehring also discussed the continuing problems of job lay-offs, limited employment opportunities, tight public budgets, and reduced charitable donations.

The federal stimulus legislation is important in addressing these problems. He said that Lifecare Alliance has submitted seven proposals for program funding under the stimulus legislation. He also cautioned that there is a lot of competition for the limited funding. He said that there are already twenty-two thousand funding requests from central Ohio.

Gehring said that implementing the stimulus legislation has not begun. It is not clear who will be making decisions on which proposals are acceptable.

Listeners who are interested in particular issues should pay attention to developments. They should write letters of support to their senators and representatives and, once the administrative decision-makers are identified letters of support should be addressed to them too.

Detailed information is available at the websites of the members of the Ohio Congressional delegation. For Bexley residents he listed the websites for Representatives Tiberi and Mary Jo Kilroy and Senators George Voinovich and Sherrod Brown.
As an additional way to get a lot of detailed information on the stimulus legislation, Gehring reminded listeners to simply google the two words “federal stimulus.”

BASEBALL TICKETS AND SENIOR PROMS

Gehring said that he has learned that some high school seniors are inviting senior citizens to proms. Dancing is a simple pleasure that many seniors enjoy. Even without dancing, participating in a formal party is a pleasure that can be enjoyed.

He also reminded listeners that Spring is the start of baseball season. Seniors always welcome visits to the baseball parks. And this year, the Clippers have the new Huntington stadium. If someone has unused baseball tickets, think of a neighbor, a senior citizen who might enjoy a night out at the ball park. Chuck also said that if any baseball tickets are donated to Lifecare Alliance, the tickets will be provided to deserving fans for a day at the ball park.

KW

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Bexley Public Radio Foundation broadcasting as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation or WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Design is copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation. Text is copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Editorial Collective.

Chuck Gehring. Lifecare Alliance Report.

Chuck Gehring visited Bexley Public Radio for his regular Lifecare Alliance report on Thursday February 19, 2009. When Chuck arrived at the studio, Mel Greenball was finishing his twice-weekly report on news published in The New Standard.

Mel is a retired OSU accounting professor and Chuck introduced himself as a former student. Just one more example of “Old Home Week” at Bexley Public Radio.

Digital TV.

Chuck began his discussion with a topic that was practical and timely. Broadcast television is changing from analog to digital technology and February is the month when most viewers will be connecting converter boxes.

He described the difficulty and confusion that the new equipment is presenting many people. Some people have vintage televisions that cannot be converted and that these people will have special challenges if they wish to continue receiving a television signal. He said that some people paying attention to the technology switch are calling the situation the “Nightmare of February.”

Chuck said that Lifecare Alliance has a corps of volunteers who can assist central Ohio residents who need assistance in attaching converter boxes to their televisions and making the required adjustments.

Individuals who need assistance or want to volunteer as technicians for this service should call Lifecare Alliance. Donations of televisions and converter boxes are also welcome.

Winter Meals on Wheels.

The cold winter Thursday of the broadcast was a reminder that volunteers who deliver Meals on Wheels have to deal with the winter risks of ice and snow as they make their appointed rounds. Chuck described some of the challenges and difficulties the heavy icing of the prior two weeks caused volunteers.

Food Safety.

Salmonella-contaminated peanut butter cracker sandwiches are also in the news. Chuck described the safety procedures and inventory controls at the Lifecare Alliance food pantries.

He also described some simple food safety practices useful at home. From the simple attention to expiration dates; regular washing of hands and counters: refrigeration and separation of raw meats, poultry and fish from other foods; food should be hot and refrigerate food promptly.


Gardens, Community Gardens and Parsley.

Chuck briefly discussed gardens as a way for households to supply themselves with fresh fruits and vegetables. He also said that community gardens are receiving interest throughout central Ohio. He said that at Lifecare Alliance, there is some thinking about how a garden might provide some fresh produce such as tomatoes for the Meals on Wheels. He said that they also discuss whether a small experimental garden might be useful at their new facility on Harmon Road to learn how a garden might fit into the operations. The example Chuck offered was an herb garden where something like fresh parsley would be available for the Meals on Wheels kitchen. This though is in the discussion stage only.

Tax Deductions for Volunteers.


Chuck then turned to a topic on everyone’s mind: taxes. He reminded listeners that the IRS permits volunteers to deduct mileage related to volunteer work at the rate of 14 cents per mile. The deduction is permitted those taxpayers who itemize their deductions. He also reminded listeners that when they donate boxed food and canned goods the actual cost of those food paid at the grocery is a deductible when the taxpayer itemizes deductions. Save the grocery receipts. He discussed also mentioned the tax benefits of donating to charities gifts of appreciated property including stocks and bonds.

Commentary by Lifecare Alliance's Chuck Gehring.

Monday afternoon guest on Bexley Public Radio was Chuck Gehring, president and CEO of Lifecare Alliance. Chuck was invited to discuss the social service programs of Lifecare Alliance and to comment on his estimate of how the Wall Street turmoil will impact on social service agencies like Lifecare Alliance.

Chuck began by describing the core programs of Lifecare Alliance. These core programs are known as Meals on Wheels, Visiting Nurses and Help at Home.

To implement these core programs Lifecare Alliance operates twenty-two meal centers and twelve walk-in health centers in central Ohio.

Many, but far from all, of the individuals in the client populations served by all of the Lifecare Alliance programs are lower income, chronically ill and homebound.

Meals on Wheels serves six thousand meals a day from Lifecare Alliance’s West Mound Street location.

During weekdays, seventy percent of the meals are delivered by volunteers. On the weekend, one hundred percent of the meals are delivered by volunteers.

The six thousand meals are delivered on one hundred twenty-five routes throughout Franklin and Madison counties.

The Lifecare Alliance Meals on Wheels program is among the five largest home meal services in the U.S. The Lifecare Alliance meal program is one of only a few nationwide that provides weekend delivery of meals.

Lifecare Alliance also has specialty meal programs such as Kosher Senior Meals through a program at the Jewish Community Center of Central Ohio. Another specialty meal program uses a local Asian restaurant to provide meals appealing to the palates of Asian residents.

Lifecare Alliance was founded in Columbus 110 years ago. Its founders met at the residence at 1000 Bryden Road. Catherine Nelson Black and her husband Samuel Black, Columbus mayor, were active in the founding of this organization. The original social and health problems addressed by the organization were flooding in Columbus, tuberculosis, and high infant mortality rates.

Impact of Wall Street turmoil.

Impact on Operational Expenses

Expenses have increased for Lifecare Alliance. Milk and gasoline are two examples.

Gasoline costs have risen. Cost of gas for 2008 will exceed the prior year budget by $200,000. The cost of milk provided in meals has increased by forty-two percent.

Impact on Donations

Donations will be effected by the Wall Street collapse. Lifecare Alliance receives donations of appreciated stock. Such gifts provide donors with “double bumps” in terms of income tax. No capital gain tax is due on the gift and the donor can deduct the appreciated value of the stock if the donor itemizes charitable deductions.

The present conditions on Wall Street reduce the total financial value of gifts of appreciated stock to donors.

WCRX Editorial Collective Note: This is one of a continuing series of program features where Bexley Public Radio reports the views of community leaders on the significance of the Wall Street financial collapse.

Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation.